Missy Gousha looks at a rose bush planted in her backyard that came from a field where her son Michael committed suicide at age 23. A memorial stone bench is beneath it. Apr. 29, 2013

Written by

Laura Ungar
and Chris Kenning

After losing his job and his girlfriend, Michael Gousha drove to a rural spot in Bullitt County with a pistol he'd bought just days earlier. Parking near an old barn, he got out of the car, fired all the bullets but one, placed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger - ending his life at 23.

Trying to silence the voices in his head, Larry Lepine of Leslie County took handfuls of illegal amphetamines - but survived to rebuild his life.

Both men were distraught. Both suffered from mental illness. The difference was that one used a gun, obliterating any opportunity for a second chance. While the recent ...